Bobbin-handling apparatus.



Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

3 (SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Er Y B. A. PETERSN.

BOBBIN HANDLING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED Amm, 1912.

B. A. PETERSON.

BOBBIN HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APRJ., 1912. 1,108,097. Patented Aug. 18, 1911.1n

A 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. A. PETERSON.

BOBBIN HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED APRA, 1912.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914 y 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fa specification.

UNITED' sTArEs PATENT. OFFICE.

`BUIEVI A. PETERSON, OF ROCKFORI), ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HOWARD D. COLMAN, LUTHER L. MILLER, AND HARRY A. SEVERSON, COPARTNEB-S DOING BUSINESS AS BARBER-COLMAN COMPANY, OF ROCKFORCD, ILLINOIS.

BOBBIN-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BURT A. PETERSON, Ea citizen of the United States, residing fr? Rockford, in the county of yWinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bobbin-Han- 'dling Apparatus, of which the following is This invention relates to means 'for a1'- rang'i'ng a confused mass of bobbins into orderly series adapted for insertion into containers for various purposes, as, for example, the magazines used in connection with spinning-frame doffers.

In the Vaccompanying drawings,`Figures l and 2 together constitute a side elevation 'of an apparatus embodying the features of my invention, Fig. 2 being upon a larger Fi'. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken in 'the plane of dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2.. Fig.

4 isla 4fragmerita-lview of a bobbin-airuiging 'device comprised in the apparatus. Fig.

5 isa section on line' 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 'of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an elevation' of a bin comprised inthe present` embodiment of the apparatus. Fig. v8

is a section on line 8 8` of Fig. `1. Fig. 9 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating the operation of certain parts of the mecha- 'msm'.

i The embodiment herein shown of the in-v vention is especially designed to handle weft or filling bobbins,but it 'will be understood that the invention .may be embodied in apparatus .for handlingother forms'ofv f'bobbins. n

For'thepurp'ose of illustrating-.the inven- 'tion,"the a paratusis shown as' capable of arranging magazine, 'but' it will be apparent lthat ap.-v

bbins for reception in a' doiler paratus embodying the "invention may be "fis used in connection with magazines intended for various purposes. The magazine a herein shown is vadapted to accommodate yseven rows of bobbins, land hence the apparatus illustratedin the drawings is designed to arrange the bobbins in a like number 'of jrows.

' The illustrative apparatus herein disclosed comprises a. framework A preferably 'mounted Von rollers B so `that/it may be Operative relation toany suitable `supply readily moved about the mill and placed in from the bin 1 the operator swings the trap door 2 downward, or permits it to swing downward, in any convenient way, as by raising the weight 5, whereupon bobbins are discharged from the bin into a chute 6 located below said bin. chute the bobbins are directed into 'a hopper or jogger 7 `which is mounted on a support A forming a part of the framework A. Said hopper consists of a bottom 8, (Fig. 5), side Walls 9" and an end wall 10, oneenduof the hop-per being open. While said hopper or jogger may be constructed and arranged in any suitable manner, it 1s herein shown assupported upon vfour parallel arms 11 of equal length mounted in the framework of the apparatus. The hopper may be gi'ven a swinging oi' reciprocating movement in any preferred Way,

By means of said as, vfor example, by ailixing an a'r'm 11210 the shaft 13 (Fig. 5) that supports two of In the reciprocation'of the hopper 7, bobl bins are discharged from its forward or open end onto a downwardly inclined structure 19 having longitudinal downwardlyextendin'g'- slots 2O therein (F ig. 5). These V slots are of greater width than the diameter of the 'tips'of the bobbins, but of less width than the' greatest diameter of the bobbins.

vThus it will be seen that the bobbins may 'hang in said slots with their butts supported upon the edge walls of said slots, as indicated in the drawings. Hereinlhave shown 'the slotted structure as formed of a plurality of parallel rails 21 spacedapart as indicated above, 'these rails being rigidly secured in parallel spaced relation. The space above the rails Q1 is bounded at its sides by side plates and 23 (Fig. (l). Below the rails 21 are partition plates 21 which serve to prevent sidewise movement ot the bobbins. The upper' part oif the structure 19 extends beneath the discharge end of the hopper 7, and, if desired, may be there. provided with a'cross piece Then the bobbins drop trom the hopper 7 onto the slotted structure 19 they commence rolling or sliding down said structure. and in so doing, the majority ot the bobbins come into alinement with the slots, whereupon they swing downwardly into said slots into the position shown in Fig. 1. To assist. in alining the bobbins with said slots, there may be provided suitable means.y as, for example, that shown in F igs.l,4,and (3, Said means consis-ts of two endless sprocket chains carried by sprocket wheels 2G and 27, the sprocket wheels 2G being fixed upon a shaft 28 (Fig. (3) and the sprocket wheels 9.7 being mountv4 ed upon a shaft 29. The 'shaft 2S may be rotated by suitable means, such as a belt (not shown) running over a pulley 30 fixed on said shaft. A sprocket wheel 31 on the shaft 2S carries a chain 32 which runs over the sprocket wheel 15. To the chains 25 are ixcd cross barsl 33. The lower side or run oit the chains is guided to move parallel with the face of the slotted inclined structure 19 by means of grooved guides 34 fixed in the framework. into which guides the` ends ot the cross bars extend. The entrance and exit ends ot said guides are turned upwardly, as indicated at 35 and 36 in Figs. 1 and G. As shown in said figures, the bars 33 move at such a height as to clear a bobbin which may be lying upon the properly arranged bobbins.

On the cross bars 33 are mounted lingers for raking the bobbins to th ns assist. in alining them with the slots. These fingers may torni and may be mounthe of any suitable 33 in any preferred maned upon the bars ner. I'ixed upon each cross bar, the lingers being arranged `in eehelon as clearly shown in F ig. 4. they come in contact with any bobbins which may be rolling or slidingr down the inclined structure 19. and thereby turn such bobbins into alinement with the slots, whereupon the bobbins swing downwardliY into the desired position in the slots. Preferably the fingers are held against sidewise displacement by forming slots 53S (Fig. (i) in the rails 21. into which slots the fingers 37 extend. As shown in Fig. 6 the tingers 37 travel in the spaces between the rows of properly positioned bobbins.

It desired. means may be provided for igireventingT the bobbins from rolling or sliding down the inclined structure so far that the fingers 37 are unable to aline them. For

llerein l have shown one linger 3T As the fingers 37 travel upwardly this purpose I have provided a plurality of guard plates 39, one ot' said plates being hinged to each of the cross-bars A spring 40 (Fig. tends to hold each plate 39 in operative position, this position being determined by the contact of a stop 41 (F ig. 9) on the plate with the side ot the cross bar. As the guard plates 39 move upwardly, they `arrest any unalined bobbins which otherwise would roll or slide too tar down the inclined structure. In order that the guard plates 39 shall not interfere with the operation of alining the bobbins, I provide means to swing said plates upwardly after they have passed the point where they are needed, which means consists. in this instance, of two rails 42 ixed to the inner sides of the side plates 23, the lower ends of said rails being inclined to permit sai plates to ride up easily on said rails. The upper end portions of the rails 4Q are curved upon the arc of a circle concentric with the shaft 28 in order to retain the guard plates 39 `in inoperative position, and thereby obviate the possibility of bobbins discharged from the hopper 'l' fouling on said guard plates. The extreme upper ends of the rails are curved so as to allow the guard plates gradually to assume their operative position. Near the lower end of the inclined slotted structure 19 there may be provided, it desired, a plurality of plat-es 43 which serve to stop any bobbin which might reach the lower end of said struct-nre without entering one ot the slots. At'the lower end ot he inclined slotted structure 19 the slots are. continued between rails 44 (Fig. 3), said rails being inclined upwardly sufiiciently to prevent the weight of the bobbins on the inclined structure 19 from pushing bobbins oii the rails 44. f

ln. .order to 'facilitate the introduction ot bobbins into the magaZine5 the latter is pret erahly supported in an inclined position. as. for example. upon a table 45. the lower end o't the magazine resting against a stop 413 and the upper end of the magazine being caused to register' with the end of the rails 44 by means ot positioning stops 47 secured to the outer rails 44. The forward ends of said rails are downwardly inclined at an angle corresponding substantially with the angle of inclination of the magazine.

In operation. bobbins are discharged from the bin 1 into .the hopper 7, whence they pass onto the. inclined structure 19. Here they become alined with and enter the slots l0 and slide down the rails 2l onto the rails 44. As sorted bobbins accumulate in the inclined structure.l their weight causes the bobbins on the rails 44 to advance along said rails. TWhen a sutiicient quantitv of bobbins has accumulated on the rails 44. the operator pushes the bobbins into a magazine previously placed on the support 45. The opsuch rows in a` position convenient for insel'- tion of the bobbins in a magazine.

While in the present embodiment gravity is employed to move the bobbins along the slotted structure, it is evident. that other means might be employed and that various other changes might be made in the construction and arrangementof the apparatus herein shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention;

l. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, la longitudinally-slotted structure along which bobbins may move; and means operating in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the bobbins for alining the bobbing with a slot in said structure.

2. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a longitudinally-slotted structure along which bobbins may move; endless chain means arranged to move along and above said structure in a direction opposite to that taken by the bobbins; and fingers carried by said endless chain means arranged to move among the bobbins and aline them with the Slots.

3. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a longitudinally-slotted structure along which bobbins may move; two endless parallel chains supported for movement along said structure; cross-bars connecting said chains; and fingers on the cross-bars arranged, in the movement of the chains, to pass among bobbins lying on said structure,

.and aline the bobbins with the slots, said fingers moving among the hobbins iu the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the bobbins.

4. In bobbin-handling apparatus. in combination, a downwardly-inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bobbius I may move: and means operating in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the bobbins for alining the bobbins with the slots.

5. In bobbin-handling apparatus` in combination. an inclined longitudinaliv-slotted structure; and means for raking the bohhins into alinement with a slot in said structure.

6. In bobbin-handling apparatus. in combination, an'inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bobbins may move; and devices for raking the bobbins into alinement with a slot in said structure and for limitingthe downward movementof unalined bobbins.

T. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a. longitudinally-slotted structure along which bobbins may move; and means movinglongitudinally of said structure for raking the bobbins into alinement with a slot in said structure. Y

8. In bobbin-hamlling apparatus, in combination. an inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bobbins may move; an endless series of traveling devices for alining the bobbins with a slot in said structure; and means associated with said series for limiting the downward movement of unalined bobbins.

9. In bo-bbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a downwardly-in-clined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bobbins may move; two endless parallel chains supported for movement along said structure; crossbars connecting said chains; fingers on the cross-bars for raking the bobbins into alinenient with the slots; and guards carried by the cross bars arranged to arrest the downward movement of unalined bobbins.

10. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a downwardly-inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bobbins may move; two endless parallel chains supported for movement along said structure; cross bars connecting said chains; means on the cross bars for alining the bobbins with the slots; guardsj on the cross bars for arresting the downward movement of unalined bobbins; and means actuated in the movement of the chains for withdrawing the guards from operative position.

11. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a longitudinally-slotted structure along which bobbins may move; two endless parallel chains supported for movement along said structure; means carried by said chains for alining the bobbins with the slots; pivoted guard plates carried by said chains for limiting the downward movement of unalined bobbins; and means operating in the movement of the chains to swing the guard plates out of operative position.

12. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a downwardly-inclined longitudinallv-slotted structure down which bobbins may move; and fingers operating longitudinally of a slot in said structure and above said structure for raking the bobbins into alinement with the slot.

13. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a downwardlv-inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which l'robbins may move; a series of guards to arrest the downward movement ot bobbins which are not alined with the slots; and means for moving the guards upwardly along said structure.

14. In bobbin-liamlling apparatus, in com bination, a downwardly-inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bobbins may move; a series of guards to arrest the downward movement of be-bbins which are not alined with the slots; means for moving the guards upwardly along said structure; and means to withdraw the guards from operative position at a certain pointin their ,upward movement.

15. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a downwardly-inclined longitudinally-slotted structure down which bohbins may move; endless chain means arranged to move upwardly and longitudinally of the structure; and bobbin-raking ngers mount4 ed in eelielon on said chain means.

16. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a plurality of spaced rails providing bobbinfreceiving slots, certain of said rails being longitudinally grooved in their upper edges; and bobbin-raking fingers arranged to move above and longitudinally of said rails, the lower ends of said fingers traveling in said grooves.

1T. In bobbin-handling apparatus, in combination, a downwardly-inclined longitudinally-slotted bobbin-sorting structure; a structure tilted 'slightly upwardly and connected at its -lower end to the lower end of the inclined structure and having bobbinreceiving slots communicating with the slots of the inclined structure; a table adapted to support a magazine with the receiving end of the magazine in register with the discharge end of the second mentioned strueture; and a stop to hold a magazine in place on said table.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. BURT A. PETERSON.

Witnesses: W. C. FRoHNiNG,

Louisa A.. CULVER. 

